Metal window-frame



H. H. GARRATT.

METAL WINDOW FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1919.

1,354,821. Patented Oct. 5,1920.

INV E NTOR I H. H. Garrajz? @MW ATTORNEY unrrro STATES HECTOR HENRY GARRATT, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

METAL WINDOW-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1929.

Application filed March 5, 1919. Serial No. 289,833.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I Hnoron HENRY GAR- RATT, a subject of the liing of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Lionel street, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Metal Window-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to window frames constructed of rolled or otherwise suitably formed bars of steel or other metal on the principle of piercing bars and threading or interlacing other continuous bars through the pierced holes, and adapted to receive panes of glass which are fastened by the usual methods of glazing. The bars or astragals are generally of T section, the mold or flange of the T being adapted to receive the glass panes, and the web of the T being at right angles to the glass panes.

Many difl'erent forms of such window frames have been used or proposed. In one form the holes in one set of astragals are pierced to the cross section of that of the other set which are interlaced therethrough, no expanding or bulging being performed in the vicinity of the pierced holes. This form requires that the pierced astragals shall be of appreciably deeper cross section than that of the other set, and the strength of the pierced astragals is considerably reduced at the holes. In particular, if the landings for the glass pane on both sets of astragals are flush with each other the holes pass through the flanges of the pierced astragals which have therefore to be made considerably deeper than those of the other set. In a modification of this form, the flanges of the non-pierced astragals lie wholly inside those of the pierced astragals so that the holes in the latter are pierced through the webs only, and packing strips or the like are used to provide the landings for the glass panes.

In another form the non-pierced astragals have their flanges cut away at the places where those of the pierced astragals cross them. The holes are pierced of less depth than that of the non-pierced astragals, longitudinal slits are made at the ends of the pierced holes remote from the flange, the metal is expanded or bulged so as to deepen the holes and allow the non-pierced astragals to be passed through into position with the junction with the landing in landings for the glass panes of both sets flush with each other, and the expanded metal is again forced back into its former position locking both sets of astragals at their crossing places.

In still another form, in which the two sets of astragals are of equal cross section, rectangular holes are pierced in the webs to fit the webs of. the interlaced bars, longitudinal slits are made, and the metal at the ends of the rectangular holes is expanded or bulged so that the unpierced astragals may be passed through. Notches are cut at the bottom of the webs of the unpierced astragals at the crossing places and the expanded metal at the bottom of the web of the pierced astragals is again forced back into its former position. In such forms of window frames as hitherto used the stiffness and strength of the pierced bars is greatly reduced at the holes, likewise that of the unpierced bars by the notching either at the flange or at the foot of the web.

The object of my invention is to provide a metal window frame of greater stiffness and strength, weight for weight, than those at present used. I attain this object by making the pierced bars or astragals of an improved section, having a web of reduced thickness and a bulb or narrow flange at the extremity of the web remote from the flange or landing against which the glass panes rest, piercing the web with holes extending from landing to bulb, slitting the web longitudinally at its the vicinity of the holes, and expanding outward the flange so as to allow the unpierced astragals to be interlaced with their landings flush with those of the pierced astragals. The said improved section is such that the flange and bulb contribute the greater part of the moment of inertia and section modulus thereof, on which the stiffness and strength respectively depend, the web contributing only a small proportion thereof. Consequently, the reduction of stiffness and strength by piercing the web is small. The unpierced astragals preserve their full strength and stillness throughout their length, not being cut or notched anywhere, except at their ends where they are -jointed to the peripheral member of the frame.

The unpierced astragals which are interlaced through the pierced astragals may also,

. if desired, be made of flange bulb bar section, with corresponding lncrease in their stiffness and strength.

The panes of glass must be of such dimensions as will pass through between the edges of the bulbs of the astragal bars, and there will therefore be clearance spaces between the webs and the edges of the glass panes. But the projection of the bulb on either side of the web 1s small in comparison with the corresponding projection of the flan e. After due allowance has been made for t e clearance of the lass panes there will be in every case ample anding for each glass pane on the flanges of the bars which receive it.

I append drawings illustrating my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a metal window frame.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sections of the outside frame members, vertical astragals and horizontal astragals respectively.'

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing two examples of a joint between a vertical and a horizontal astra al; the flanges of the astragals of Fig. 5 being deep, those of Fig. 6 being shallow.

ig. 7 is a separate view of the vertical astragal of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 8 shows the section at the pierced and expanded hole.

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views of the vertical astragal of Fig. 6.

The horizontal astragals H shown in Figs. 4 and 6 are of the usual well-known section comprising a flange 1, and web 2. That shown in Fig. 5 has a bulb or thickening 3, the section being of similar shape to that of the vertical astragals. The vertical astragals V are in all cases provided with a bulb or thickening 3 at the end of 'the web 2 remote from the flange 1. At a point of intersection the vertical astragal has a hole pierced through the web, and the portion of the flange 1 contiguous thereto is expanded in a manner well known to receive the horizontal astragal and fits closely on the outer surface of the flange thereof as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. a

The ends of both sets of astragals are fastened to the frame members F in the usual manner.

of astragals so as to have the landings for the glass panes on the flanges of both sets of astragals flush with each other, and a non-pierced set of astragals extending continuously from side to side of the window frame and fitting closely in the bulged holes of the pierced astragals.

2. A metal window frame havin astragals made of bars of flangeulb section, the webs thereof being pierced with holes extending from the flange of the bulb thereof and slit longitudinally close to the flange, and a flange in the vicinity of each hole and slit being bulged outward, and a non-pierced set of astragals passing through the holes and slits so as to have the landings for the glass panes on the flanges of both sets of astragals flush with each other, and the non-pierced set of astragals extending continuously from side to side of the window frame and fitting closely in the bulged holes of the pierced astra als.

3. A window frame inc uding a series of pierced astragals provided with a central web having a base flange and a top flange, each of said astragals having its web portion provided with holes, the astragals being slit at the points where the holes merge into the top flanges, and the top flanges at the points adjacent the slits being bulged outwardly, and a non-pierced set of astra als connected to the pierced astragals an extending through said holes and slits, eachof the non-pierced astragals having a top flange whose inner surface lies in the same plane as the inner surfaces of the top flanges of the pierced astragals to provide flush surfaces to receive the glass.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HECTOR HENRY GARRATT.

a set of- 

